There are several prior art games wherein a tethered ball is manipulated by the body to engage a target. One prior art game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,774,910 and 5,286,031, both of which issued to the inventor of the present subject matter, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present subject matter relates to, and constitutes an improvement over, the games disclosed in the above-mentioned patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,910 (the '910 patent) includes a target plate comprising a plurality of holes for selectively receiving a ball. The ball may be tethered to a member carried by the body of a different person; however, it is also suggested therein that the ball may be tethered to the target plate, so that one person can play the game. The tether for the ball is a member that is flexible throughout its length, so it is quite difficult to control the ball, and there are no visual cues to assist a player in causing the ball to be received by the intended target. The game disclosed in the '910 patent is, therefore, very difficult, and success tends to be more related to probability than to skill or attention by the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,031 (the '031 patent) provides an improvement over the '910 patent by providing a waist mounted game having a target plate, and a ball tethered to the target plate. The target plate includes at least one target for receiving the ball. In the preferred embodiment, the target plate includes a plurality of holes, each hole being of a different diameter for presenting a different level of difficulty in receiving the ball, and there are sighting means between adjacent holes. In one form of the game, the holes of the target plate have baskets to receive the ball so the ball is easily removable therefrom. The tether for the ball includes a first length that is generally rigid, and a second length that is flexible. The first length acts as a means for controlling and directing the ball, and the second length allows freedom for the ball to engage a target on the target plate, or not. By utilizing the sighting means for directing the motion of the first length of the tether, one can increase the probability of having the ball received by a target on the target plate. Thus, the game disclosed in the '031 patent provides for greater control over the ball and, therefore, enables the player to develop and demonstrate greater accuracy and skill during game play. Through practice, a player's competitiveness can increase, which is most significant in multiplayer games.
In both the '910 and the '031 patents, the player is tasked with his or her own scorekeeping. For some players, however, this may be unacceptable, inconvenient, or impossible. For example, for younger children, who may not yet have developed sufficient skill in mathematics to easily keep score, for players who may become confused or forgetful in keeping increasing score tallies, for multiplayer games wherein players may not trust manual scorekeeping, and for players who simply do not feel adept at keeping score, a manual scorekeeping process becomes an impediment to full enjoyment of play and competition. For such players, and in such circumstances, an electronic scorekeeping means may prove beneficial.
Yet additionally, some players may better enjoy the game apparatus when provided with challenges in the form of electronically directed game-play. Such directed challenges may serve to increase basic game skills, to provide diversity in play, and to demonstrate forms of play that can lead to enhancements in player creativity during play.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide players with an improved waist-mounted tethered ball and target including electronic play instructions, electronically directed game-play, electronic scorekeeping means, and electronically directed alternative player goals, in order to increase such players' feelings of fun, pleasure, and satisfaction with their game play.